Blogger Beat: Bleed Cubbie Blue
…as the Mets head to Chicago for their only Wrigley Field trip this season, i did a quick Q & A with Al Yellon, who blogs about the Cubs for Bleed Cubbie Blue…
D.J. Short:
Derrek Lee seems to have found his power swing again. Is it safe to say his wrist is fully healed?
Al Yellon:
Absolutely. Lee says he doesn’t think that’s the reason that his power suddenly vanished in the first half of last year, but it seems pretty obvious that it takes more than a year for an injury like that to fully heal. We got a hint of this last year when he hit 16 HR in the second half.
Incidentally, D-Lee’s hot start is yet further proof that spring training stats mean absolutely nothing. He hit .194 in Arizona this year and those of us who saw him play worried because he hardly pulled anything.
D.J. Short:
How have the fans taken to Kosuke Fukudome? From what you have seen of him so far, do you think he is worthy of the hype?
Al Yellon:
Fukudome put himself into Cub lore on Opening Day when he hit a three-run game-tying HR in the bottom of the 9th. The Cubs lost, but that moment will be remembered for a very long time. He also has become a fan favorite for playing the game the right way — taking lots of pitches, hitting in situations. I don’t think I’ve seen him yet have a bad at-bat, even when he makes an out.
Is he worth it? Absolutely. Like Ichiro, he had a mediocre first spring training and some wondered whether this guy, who was supposed to be the best hitter in Japan, was worth it.
Even his teammates have said he may have been “sandbagging” it in spring training, not wanting to let on about a number of things he could really do. I love watching him play both at bat and in the field, where his range and plus arm make him the best Cub right fielder since Andre Dawson.
D.J. Short:
Is there any timetable on Alfonso Soriano‘s return? When he does get back, are the Cubs gonna prevent him from doing his trademark hop?
Al Yellon:
Frankly, the way the Cubs are hitting right now, they seem better off without him. That’s a bit over-the-top, but Soriano is such a streak hitter that when he’s not hitting, the team IS better off without him. Last September, though, when he got hot — well, let’s just say that without his 14-HR month, the Cubs stay home in October 2007.
Soriano claims he does that hop to help him concentrate on catching fly balls. It’s not likely the hop itself caused the injury — that leg was going to go anyway, and it might have gone on the basepaths, as it did last year in that Sunday night game vs. the Mets.
Right now I’m in no hurry to get him back, as the Cubs are 5-1 without him.
D.J. Short:
Do you think Kerry Wood can carry the load as closer all season? How has he changed since his days as a starter?
Al Yellon:
“Changed” is the wrong word, really — I think this was a matter of career survival for Kerry, because he really can’t be a starter any more (or at least, as for John Smoltz, he may have to have a few years as a closer before returning to starting).
Can he carry the load? Absolutely. He has the right mentality and approach, and his velocity has returned (he’s consistently throwing 96 MPH).
D.J. Short:
What’s up with Tuesday’s starter Ted Lilly and his mysterious loss of velocity? Long-term concern or just needing to build arm strength?
Al Yellon:
That’s a really good question. Right now the Cubs are saying it’s “dead arm”, but my question is: how do you get “dead arm” in April? Lilly looked like this in spring training and we figured, “Well, he’s just working on stuff”. It’s a little late in the year to do that. Now, that said, Lilly threw better in his last start — he made two bad pitches and Joey Votto hit them for a two-run double and a three-run homer. If Lilly throws like that the rest of the year, he’ll be just fine.
…thanks again, Al…shame the Mets only play two games there this season…
